If you're working with kindergarteners, a lot of your time will be spent helping them build language and reading skills. Sight words will be a primary focus of many of your lessons and activities. Use the helpful list of kindergarten sight words, along with related teaching tips, to help your students establish the strong language arts foundation they need to succeed in elementary school and beyond.
Dolch List: Basic Sight Words for Kindergarten
The Dolch sight words list is commonly used in elementary school classes. The full list contains more than 200 words, but not all of the terms are designed for use with kindergarten students. There are just over 50 (52 to be exact) kindergarten-specific sight words on the list. Those are the terms you should focus on when teaching basic sight words to kindergarteners.
Printable List of Kindergarten Sight Words
The printable list of the Dolch kindergarten sight words is colorful and visually appealing, so it works well as a handout to share with students. Young children are sure to enjoy reviewing and studying the list!
Kindergarten Sight Words A-G
You may want to break the word list down into relatively small alphabetical groupings, starting with the ones that begin with letters "a" through "g."
- all
- am
- are
- at
- ate
- be
- black
- brown
- but
- came
- did
- do
- eat
- four
- get
- good
Kindergarten Sight Words H-P
If you're proceeding alphabetically, move next to the words that start with "h" through "p."
- have
- he
- into
- like
- must
- new
- no
- now
- on
- our
- out
- please
- pretty
Kindergarten Sight Words R-U
The next logical division is the words that begin with "r" through "u."
- ran
- ride
- saw
- say
- she
- so
- soon
- that
- there
- they
- this
- too
- under
Advertisement
Kindergarten Sight Words W-Y
Finally, move to words that start with "w" through "y." Please note that the Dolch kindergarten sight words list doesn't include any terms that begin with the letter "z."
- want
- was
- well
- went
- what
- white
- who
- will
- with
- yes
Activities to Teach Kindergartners Sight Words
There are many ways to teach sight words to kindergarten students Whatever strategies you use, focus on helping students learn how to recognize and properly use sight words.
- Start with these lessons to learn kindergarten sight words, which focus on using flashcards, creating an animated movie and writing a song.
- Include some fun sight word games into your class, such as creating patterns with sight words or scavenger hunts to find hidden sight word flashcards.
- Challenge students to listen closely for sight words during storytime, and award prizes to the first student who raises a hand when a sight word is spoken.
- Assign students to come up with original sentences using certain sight words. Start with just one sight word per sentence, then make it more challenging by requiring two or three.
- Spur creativity by assigning students to work visual representations of one or more sight words into a drawing or other art project.
- Have students create a greeting card for a parent or other caregiver that features one or more sight words in the design or text.
- Challenge students to describe designated objects using only sight words. This can be a group, partner or individual activity.
- Read off a selection of phrases or sentences with sight words and ask students to ring a bell or hold up a card any time you speak one of their sight words.
- Host a sight word spelling bee, offering prizes to all students who make it through the round without misspelling any terms from the kindergarten sight word list.
- Engage in a round-robin storytelling game, with each student coming up with a sentence using a sight word. Go around the room in order so that the sentences form a story. Whether the story makes sense or not, it'll be fun and students will get to practice using their sight words.
Advertisement
Tips for Developing a Sight Words Lesson Plan
For teaching kindergartners basic sight words, you should consider putting together a lesson plan focused on sight words appropriate for their grade level. Be sure to remember to add the fun into the lesson plans along with structured lessons.
- Take a close look at the resources you have around you in the classroom. Come up with a few objectives and goals which you would like your kindergartners to accomplish.
- The next part of your lesson should specify how you intend to teach the reading and spelling of the sight words. Use some of the activity ideas listed above, as well as any other sight word games or teaching methods appropriate for the subject matter.
Before you know it you will have a rock-solid plan on how to teach your students about their basic sight words.
Advertisement
Building Langage Skills in Kindergarten
Of course, kindergarten language arts education shouldn't be limited solely to sight words. You'll need to use other tools and strategies to help your young students learn how to read. Incorporate some three-letter words for kindergarten reading practice into your language arts lessons. You may also find these printable kindergarten reading comprehension worksheets to be beneficial.